


A House Full of Monsters

by MonsterMonsoon



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Monster AU, Fauns, Feeding, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, It's not that bad I promise I'm a babie, Mentions of Death, THIS'LL BE A FUN RIDE FOLKS, Vampires, Werebeasts, Witches, Zombies, nagas, normal monster related violence nothing major
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2019-11-28 03:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonsterMonsoon/pseuds/MonsterMonsoon
Summary: When Hat Kid was adopted by a lovely lady named Cookie, she had no idea her world would change forever as she'd fall head-first into a hidden world of Monsters





	1. A Vampire in the Attic

Snatcher had to feed eventually. He couldn't hide all day in the attic and let his need for blood go unchecked.

 

But the people in the house he had planned to feed on….he had stupidly grown close to them. He saw them as family now.

 

He couldn't feed on family.

 

But he couldn't hide in the attic all day, either. They'd grow suspicious.

 

When the noise downstairs started to kick up, signifying they were awake. Sighing, and mentally bracing himself, he went downstairs.

 

Immediately he felt a heartbeat nearby. Spinning around, he saw Grooves walk by. “Morning darling.”

 

Snatcher could feel the other man's slow heartbeat, and hear the blood rushing in his veins. “...likewise.”

 

He let the man walk by, wincing as his stomach loudly groaned at him. He dug his sharp talons into his arms to control himself. He couldn't just bite him here, in the house!

 

_But he was so hungry._

 

Steeling his nerves once again, he made his way to the dining room. He saw Conductor sitting at the table. Snatcher could smell the booze in his blood and it made him sick. “Laddie ye look terrible.”

 

“So do you, old man.” he snapped, making his way to the coffee pot. It'd do nothing for the agonizing emptiness in his organs, but it kept him awake.

 

“Morning sweetie!” Cookie sang from the kitchen. Her blood smelled like sugar and had to bite his tongue. “Want some breakfast?”

 

“Not today, miss. I'm busy working on a project upstairs.” Working on finding a _meal,_ that was.

“Morning Snatcher!” the little voice made him jump. Out of all the people in the house, Snatcher was most attached to the Cookie’s little niece, Hat Kid.

 

Her blood was still young, and very tantalizing. But he promised himself he would never, ever bite a child.

 

Hat Kid hugged his leg, as he was much taller than her. He ruffled her hair. “Hey, kiddo. What are you doing today? School?”

 

“It's Sunday!”

 

“Eh, you can still go! You'll just be by yourself.” he sipped his coffee. It tasted disgusting; all food did. But he had the ability to mask his distaste.

 

“Snatcher, I need you to watch her today! Everyone else is busy today!” Cookie’s voice rang from the kitchen.

 

He sighed. “...sure.”

* * *

Snatcher watched Hat Kid play in the garden from the kitchen window. He moved his laptop from the attic to the kitchen table in order to watch the girl more carefully. If something happened to Hat Kid when he was on duty, he’d wish he got staked through the heart.

 

There was a loud crash outside, and she started crying. She burst in, sobbing and holding her wrist.

 

With a concerned tone, he beckoned her closer. “C’mere, what's wrong?”

 

Sobbing, Hat Kid showed him her hand. Covered in cuts, with a large gash in her palm. Her hand was bleeding profusely. “I-I-I was playing with a piece of wood, but I fell on the pointy bit!” she whimpered.

 

Snatcher went still.

 

Every bone in his undead body was telling him to bite down and _feed_. Right now, no questions asked. Drain all of her blood and devour her heart.

 

Slowly, hands shaking, he extended a clawed hand towards hers. “Let me see it.”

 

But he couldn't feed on her. He wouldn't. He was in control here, not his dumb vampiric instincts.

 

Inspecting the hand closer, he desperately tried to push past the voice screaming in his head to drain her and think of what to do. “We...should...pull out the splinters first,” he replied in a soft voice.

 

Nodding, she sat in a chair as he rushed to get the proper supplies to deal with this. When he returned with bandages and a tweezer, he asked for her hand again. With utmost concentration, he started pulling out bloody splinters from her hand.

 

She whimpered, and Snatcher paused. “You're doing great. You're fine. I just need to bandage it.” placing the tweezers on the table, he started to wrap her hand.

 

“Snatcher?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“...why are you drooling?”

 

His hands were shaking again. “Don't worry about it. Let's fix your hand.” he wrapped her hand as best as he could. “There! Good as new! Now let me get you some ice cream-”

 

As he stood up to retrieve a treat for her, she said something that made him stop dead. “Snatcher...are you a vampire?”

 

Thinking quickly, he replied, “Don’t be dumb. Vampires don’t exist.” walking to the freezer, he opened it and peered inside. “Ugh. Conductor ate all of the chocolate from the Neapolitan again. I hope you like strawberry and vanilla-”

 

“You have fangs!” she shouted. “You have fangs, you don’t like going outside, you sleep most of the day!”

 

“I told you I had a bad dentist as a kid.” he slid the tub of ice cream across the table and handed her a spoon. “You’ve been reading too many scary stories kid-”

 

“You hardly eat! You dislike garlic! You don’t have any mirrors in the attic, YOU WERE DROOLING AT MY BLOOD!” she shrieked.

 

“Kid, stop screaming. All of those have perfectly good explanations. I’m allergic to garlic, I have a terrible track record with accidentally breaking mirrors, and I’m just hungry.” he replied to all of this as calmly as he could, but he could feel himself sweating.

 

She didn’t seem convinced. Sighing, he walked over to her. “Besides, what kind of monster would even think about eating you?” he booped her on the nose. Before he could speak again, his midsection let out a loud growl. Sucking the air through his teeth from the pain, he winced and sat down in the closest chair.

 

With a determined look, Hat Kid popped open the ice cream lid. “Here. Eat it.”

 

He groaned. Having human food on an empty stomach was a _bad_ idea, to say the least. Best case scenario, he vomits. Worst case scenario, his instincts act up. “Kid I’m not going to-”

 

“If you don’t have a bite I’ll think you’re a vampire forever,” she said, no hint of sarcasm in her voice. She was serious. She got a big scoop of ice cream, handing the spoon to him.

 

He grimaced. This wasn’t going to end well. Snatcher started to eat the ice cream but immediately started gagging. His starved body was rejecting the ice cream, so he ran to the kitchen garbage and vomited inside it.

 

Heavily panting, he shuddered as he stood back up. _He was so hungry. He just had to give in._

 

“I KNEW IT! You’re a...vampire...and I’m alone with you…” terror crept into her voice as she sank down into the chair. He could see tears in her eyes. “...please don’t drink my blood like a juice box…”

 

“I...could never drink your blood.” pushing the hair out of his face, he sat across her from the kitchen table. His body was trembling, and his nails were digging deep into his arms as he crossed them. “Cookie, Grooves, Conductor, you...I could never drink their blood. You’re...all too important to me.”

 

Comforted slightly, Hat Kid sat up a little straighter. “Even Conductor? I thought you hated him.”

 

He waved a hand dismissively. “No, I don’t hate him. Besides I’m sure that the booze in his blood would kill me.” he grinned, trying to lighten the mood. But it didn’t last long. “B-But I need some blood in me soon. If I keep going without...well...I won’t be in control anymore.”

 

She thought for a moment, before rolling up her sleeve. “Do you want some-”

 

“Roll your sleeve back down before I see your veins,” he demanded, looking away. “It’s bad enough I can hear your heartbeat and smell you.”

 

“You can hear my heartbeat?! That’s so cool! What’s it like?”

 

Snatcher paused, thinking. “Well, when it’s just a couple of people, it’s not that bad. A low thudding in the back of my head. When it’s a crowd, it gets unbearable. Just a constant thudding in my head and the smell of everyone’s blood is enough to drive me-”

 

“Does it drive you _batty?”_ she giggled, a smug grin on her face.

 

“...Do you wanna get bit?” he snapped. When she recoiled in fear, he said in a soothing tone, “Hey, hey I’m not going to bite you. I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s OK. But we need to get you some blood before you snap.” she thought hard, tilting back her hat. “I have an idea!”

 

“Let’s hear it. I’ll take anything at this point.” he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

 

“So there are these really, really big guys by the docks. And whenever I walk home from school, they always threaten to beat me up!” She gave a sly smile. “I bet they have lots of blood!”

 

“I’m listening…”

 

“So I get one’s attention, lure him down an alley and tada! Wait, you don’t kill, right?” that might put a small wrinkle in her plan.

 

Snatcher shook his head. “Kid if I start lurking around, murdering every time I got hungry, I’d be found out in a-”

 

_“Heartbeat?!”_

“OK, you need to stop. With the puns. _Right now.”_ he growled.

 

“I can’t promise that.” she sang, hopping down from the chair. “C’mon. Let’s go get lunch.”

* * *

Hat Kid stuck her tongue out at the large Mafia Man chasing her. “C’mon buttmunch! Can’t catch a little girl?” she taunted.

 

“Mafia make little girl eat those words!” the large man shouted, hot on her heels.

 

Giggling maliciously, she ran down a dark alley. Hiding behind a couple of boxes like Snatcher instructed, she waited.

 

The Mafia Goon ran down the alley, pausing to catch his breath. “Where little brat go? Come out and fight Mafia!”

 

“So…” a voice hissed from the shadows. “You want to fight a little girl? Pitiable.”

 

“Who said that? Mafia demand they show self to Mafia!” the burly man spun around, trying to see who was insulting him.

 

“Why not pick on someone your _own_ size, punk?” out of the shadows, a clawed hand gripped the Mafia Man’s shoulder.

 

Before he could react, Snatcher’s fangs sunk into the man’s neck. The Mafia man was about to cry out, but the starving vampire used his other hand to cover his mouth.

 

Hat Kid watched in disturbing fascination as her friend drank the poor man’s blood. The Russian man’s struggling became slower, and slower as Snatcher continued to consume his blood.

 

After ten minutes, Snatcher finally stopped. The large man had passed out a while ago, and the vampire gently set him back down on the cold, alley floor. Panting and shaking, he tried to wipe the leftover blood smeared on his face from his feeding. He didn’t like to think of himself as messy, but he _was_ hungry.

 

“...are you done?” came a quiet squeak from the corner of the alley.

 

“Yeah, I’m done. C’mere,” he said breathlessly. He was still panting loudly. “Wow! I missed that! He sure struggled.”

 

She slowly approached the Mafia Goon lying silent on the ground. “Is he dead?” she whispered, looking at the awful puncture wounds her friend made. “Is he going to turn into a vampire?”

 

“No, and no. I only drank two and a half liter from him. He’ll be fine.” Snatcher pulled out his phone, dialing 911.

 

“He won’t turn, either?”

 

“I can’t make vampires - hold on...Yes, hello? We found this man in this alley. He got into a knife fight, I think. He’s bleeding, and he’s lost a lot of blood! Come quick! Dock 17.” after giving the directions, he hung up the phone. “Alright, we better get out of here before the ambulance comes and starts asking questions.

 

“We’re just going to leave him here?”

 

“Hey! This was _your_ idea kid! He’s not going to die. And besides, now that I’m full of blood, I won’t snap and murder everyone in this town.” he picked her up and started quickly walking back home, avoiding the sun.

 

“...are you going to tell the others?” she asked quietly, resting her head on his chest. He didn’t have a heartbeat.

 

“Err...let’s just keep this between us, OK? Adults tend to overreact. Remember when you failed that math test?”

 

“I’m not quite sure if those two are comparable. But I understand. Just...promise me you won’t kill anyone, or hurt us.”

 

“...of course, kiddo.”


	2. A New Puppy

“There’s been something digging through our trash.” Snatcher said one morning. Conductor and Grooves had gone to work, and it was just CC, him, and Hat Kid. “I suspect a raccoon or a ‘possum.”

 

Hat Kid looked up from her cereal excitedly. “A ‘possum?!? Can we keep it? Can we, can we, can we?”

 

“No! We cannot have a pet ‘possum!” CC exclaimed. “They’re full of disease!”

 

“If you want, I can try and set a trap for it.” Snatcher offered. Glancing at CC, he smirked. “Not for free, though.”

 

Joyfully, CC gave him a big hug. “You’re the best, sugar-pie! I’ll definitely get you a treat-“

 

“Stop. Hugging me.” He hissed, his body tense.

 

Taking several steps back, CC chuckled nervously, “Sorry about that, sugar! I can always stop by the butcher later today, and if they’re not open, I can always offer some of my-“

 

“Goodbye.” Snatcher started to grab his things. The topic of ‘feeding’ on CC always made him uncomfortable. “I’ll work on that trap ASAP.”

 

The rest of the day was uneventful, Snatcher setting up shop in his attic to create an animal trap. Conductor and Grooves came home, CC went to the butcher shop and bought the vampire some pig’s blood. Hat Kid tried to convince all four of her guardians to let her keep whatever critter that was visiting their trash, but each of them denied her.

 

Just as the sun set, Snatcher unveiled his trap. It was a simple cage that he set next to the trash, throwing in some old pizza and other delicious garbage to lure in any animals. “And it won’t hurt the little guy?” Hat Kid asked as she watched her uncle set up the trap.

 

“It shouldn’t.” he replied simply. “We’ll catch something, and I’ll throw it back into the woods. I don’t plan on feeding on it, I’m sure raccoons and whatever have lots of diseases in their blood.”

 

“Before you do, can I see it? In the morning?” she tugged on his vest to get his attention. “I wanna see the little guy!”

 

Ruffling her hair, Snatcher smirked. “Sure thing. I’ll wake you up first thing and I’ll let you see it.” He started to gently push her inside. “Now go brush your teeth and head to bed.”

 

Hat Kid was so excited as she tried to settle down and sleep. But soon her eyelids felt too heavy for her to keep them open, and she drifted into dreams of having a pet Raccoon named Princess.

 

* * *

 

She woke up at 9:32 AM. Immediately she was confused and angry. Why didn’t Snatcher wake her up? Did he forget? Grabbing her signature hat and cape, she snuck past the living room and outside. If she had been more perceptive, she would’ve noticed the adults talking about the very trap she went to investigate.

 

Hat Kid peeked around the corner. The trap was clearly set and had a tarp thrown over it. It was shaking and rattling angrily, with whatever was inside growling and trying to escape. “Hi there!” she cooed, stepping closer. The cage fell silent as she approached with kind words. “Hey little fella! Hi! I’m Hat Kid!”

 

Slowly lifting the tarp, Hat Kid gasped. “You…are not a little fella.”

 

In the cage was…a child. No, that was a bit of a stretch, as children don’t normally have tails and claws. The girl looked a few years older than Hat Kid, with filthy rags for clothes and dirty blonde hair. At first, she looked surprised, fearful almost. But as soon as the feral girl realized it was just another kid lifting the tarp, she got _angry_.

 

Grabbing the bars of the trap, the feral child snarled, “Let. Me. Out. _NOW!_ ”

 

Hat Kid was immediately taken aback by the other child’s outrage but nonetheless crept closer to open the cage. “I’ll let you out, friend!”

 

The girl stopped her ferocious struggles for a moment. “…friend?”

 

Before Hat Kid could do or say anything, she was grabbed by the back of her cape. “Kid! There you are!” Snatcher sighed in relief, shooting the girl in the cage a quick glare before putting the tarp back on and lifting the cage in his other arm.

 

“Hey!” the hatted child began to squirm. “You can’t keep someone in a cage like that! You gotta let her out!”

 

“She’s a werewolf, kid. She could’ve bit you. Or _worse_.” Snatcher hissed. At this remark, the cage started to shake and clatter violently. “Settle down!” he told the cage. “No one’s here to hurt you.”

 

Snatcher carried the two inside the living room, setting the cage in the middle of the room and tossed Hat Kid onto a couch.

 

“So!” Conductor glanced around. “We have a wee werewolf in town. No guardians in sight. Digging through trash. Tha’s a bad sign.”

 

“The poor dear! What if she’s homeless?” CC cooed, leaning closer.

 

Grooves came closer as well. He had no fear of being bit and removed the tarp. The werewolf girl snarled and hissed, backing herself into a corner. “Hello darling!” the director sat on his knees to appear less threatening. “We don’t want to hurt you! We want to help.”

 

“Let ‘er out.” Conductor demanded, turning to Snatcher.

 

“Old man, are you insane?”

 

“She can’t infect any of us except for the wee lass with ‘er bite. Trust me, laddie.” The older WereOwl took off his hat and removed his heavy suit-jacket.

 

Shrugging, Snatcher opened the cage. Immediately the young Werewolf ran forward, charging and biting Conductor’s leg. Everyone flinched and gasped, but Conductor barely winced. Raising two generations of WereBeast tantrums had dulled the pain of bites and scratches.

 

CC started to move closer, but Conductor stopped her. “Ah ah ah, leave ‘er be. She’s testing the boundaries. She’s just scared.”

 

Realizing that no one was attempting to start an angry mob or trying to kill her, the werewolf girl took several small nibbles of Conductor’s leg before slowly letting go and taking a step back. Her pose was still tense and angry.

 

Conductor went on one knee. “Now then, lass. Why don’t ye-“

 

“Mu.” The werewolf interrupted gruffly. “My name is Mu.”

 

“Alright kid,” Snatcher stepped forward. Mu snapped her head around, growling at the vampire as he came too close for her comfort. Taking the hint, Snatcher backed up. “Look kid, where’s your parents? ‘m Sure they wouldn’t be _too_ happy with you digging through garbage.”

 

Mu’s anger faded to fear and sadness. “I…I don’t know.” She sniffled and tried to look brave. “The hunters came, and my father told me to run and never look back…”

 

CC couldn’t help herself and scooped the little pup into her arms. Angry at first, Mu practically melted into the soft embrace, looking like she was about to nod off at any moment. She had spent a lot of time running and doing her best to survive, and sleep hadn’t been a high priority.

 

“She can take the spare bed in my room!!” Hat Kid spoke for the first time since being plopped on the couch. She was a human; she didn’t know the rules of Monster-Kind nor how they operate. But she couldn’t turn down a potential friend. “Maybe she can stay here?”

 

“I wouldn’t mind that in the slightest.” Cookie purred, already starting to walk towards Hat Kid’s bedroom.

 

Snatcher hissed to himself. “This is a bad, bad idea…”

 

Grooves elbowed him in the side. “Be nice! We don’t know what the little darling has been through! It wouldn’t hurt to show some sympathy.”

 

The two continued to argue as CC and Hat Kid tucked Mu into the guest bed. Already snoring, the pup buried herself into the pillows and blankets, sighing with content. “Poor thing.” CC cooed, petting the girl’s hair.

 

“How long will she stay?” Hat Kid asked.

 

“As long as she needs to. But first thing when she wakes up, we’ll give her a bath.”

 


	3. Winter Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small snippet I wrote, inspired by that new Moominvalley show-  
> You'll see why if you've seen the show

It started one chilly autumn day. The sun was shining and there was a gentle winter breeze. The leaves were orange, and the grass was starting to turn brown. It was currently tea time in the little cottage by the woods.

As the young girls played in the grass – a rougher form of ‘tag’ where Mu was always it – CC and Peony drank tea and chit chat. Well, that was what they would normally do. CC couldn’t help but notice how her tea-drinking companion seemed…tense. Stiffer than usual, the Faun tapped her hooves gently against the porch wood as she sipped her tea.

“Peony, are you alright, sugar?”

Peony took a second to respond. “What what? Did you say something Cookie?”

The witch smiled, pouring some more tea into her cup. “You seem distracted, sweetie.”

Peony watched as the werewolf pup tried to tackle Bow. “A little, maybe.”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Frowning, she replied, “What’s a penny?”

Before Cookie could answer, Peony froze. Eyes darting back and forth, ears twitching to hear something that the others could not. Hastily standing up, she set her teacup on the table. “I’m dreadfully sorry. But we need to leave.”

The Faun whistled, speaking sharply in a different language, one of the forests and Fae. Bow whirled around immediately, muttering a quiet, “Do we have to go right now? I was having fun.”

“Is something wrong?” Hat Kid asked, looking concerned.

“Nothing. We must go.” Peony responded, making her way to the forest edge.

Cookie could sense that something wasn’t right. Peony wasn’t telling the whole story. Instead of pressing the issue directly, she called out, “We’ll see you soon, right?”

Looking back with a sad smile, the older Faun replied, “Of course. We’ll see you soon.”

“Bye-bye!” Bow waved as she took Peony’s hand. With their final goodbye, the two seemed to melt into the leaves of the forest, and they were gone.

CC was unnerved by the strange behavior. What did they know that she didn’t? They’ve always been more in tune with the forest than she was. Her thinking was interrupted by Mu’s scoffing. “What a bunch of ninnies!”

Hat Kid gasped. “Don’t call them that! That’s not nice.”

“They’re weirdos and ninnies!” Mu retorted, sticking her tongue out.

“Girls, let’s go inside.” Starting to gently nudge them inside, CC looked back towards the woods with a distrustful glance. _What did they know that she didn’t?_ “Let’s wash up and start dinner. It’s salad night!”

“I _haaaate_ salad night!” the puppy whined, tail and posture drooping as she shuffled inside. Hat Kid took another look towards the woods before dutifully heading inside as well.

 

* * *

 

“You guys are leaving?!” Hat Kid gasped, looking up at the forest dwellers in shock. Her housemates muttered amongst themselves.

Peony had gathered the residents of the house for an ‘emergency announcement’. But no one even thought that she would say how the Fauns were _leaving_ the forest.

Nodding, the Faun explained, “The winters are too cold for us. If we stay, we’ll freeze.”

Bow nodded in agreement. “We do it every year! Like the birds do!”

Hat Kid sniffled. “B-But you’ll miss all the snow and the holidays…”

“It’s OK! We’ll be back in spring!” Peony assured Hat Kid, looking back to the adults, she continued. “We return in what you call ‘March’? I believe? When it starts to warm up, and the snow melts into flowers, we’ll return to fill the forest with music.”

“If ye need to leave so badly, what are ye doin’ here then?” Conductor replied gruffly. His disliking of the Forest dwellers wasn’t exactly a secret, and his harsh tone earned him a jab in the side from Grooves.

Remaining her composure, Peony smirked. “It’d be awfully rude to leave without telling your friends and family, now wouldn’t it?”

Off to the side, Snatcher and MoonJumper were discussing with one another in a different language. French, to be exact. **“Serez-vous bien, mon vieil ami?”** Snatcher whispered, the grip on his umbrella tight from anxiety.

 _“Ça ira pour moi.”_ MoonJumper softly hissed in reply.

“So what’s your story then?” Mu interrupted, becoming bored with the discussions of winter from the Fauns. “You’re not a deer.”

 _“Indeed, little pup! I will not be migrating, and instead, I will curl up under a large rock and sleep through winter.”_ The Naga explained, almost excitedly.

“That sounds lame. I thought you were cold-blooded.”

**“Hey! Be nice, brat.”**

Placing a hand on Snatcher’s shoulder, MJ cooed, _“Now now, no need for that.”_ Turning back to Mu, he continued, _“Cold-blooded makes me more susceptible to the cold. If I stay awake, I’ll freeze. And if I somehow survive the cold, I’ll starve to death due to lack of food.”_

 **“Are you SURE you’ll be OK? What If you wake up too early?”** the Vampire seemed strangely emotional. This was _Snatcher_ , showing _concern_ for someone!

_“And I’ve told you, I’ll be OK! This isn’t the first time I’ve done this!”_

“You’ll be back soon, right?!” Hat Kid hugged Peony’s leg tight, tempted to hold on as long as she needed to so they wouldn’t have to leave.

“Little one, once the snow starts to melt, you’ll hear my flute. And you’ll know!” Peony assured with a wink. “We’ll be back before you know it, I promise. It’ll fly by like the wings of a robin.”

They said their final goodbyes, and Peony took to her flute as Bow sang to the song only they knew. As they drifted further and further into the woods, their song grew quiet. “Eh, good riddance. Fauns are no good in my book.” The Conductor scoffed, turning and heading back inside.

Slowly the rest headed back inside, leaving Snatcher and Hat Kid to listen to the distant melodies of the Fauns. **“…back before we know it, huh?”** the Vampire sighed. **“C’mon kid, let’s go back inside.”**

Hat Kid nodded, shouting into the woods, “SEE YOU IN THE SPRING!” as loud as she could, skipping behind Snatcher to head inside.

 

 


	4. The Crow Monster - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [minor warning of animal gore and death near the end! RIP chickens]

Hat Kid was given a big school project about the Civil War. She had to go to the ‘big kid library’ downtown to get some books. She called it the ‘big kid library’ because that’s where High School and College kids would go to get books, and she always felt so small when she went there, even with her large hat.  
  
  
Using the office phone at her school to call CC to let her know her plan, and as soon as school let out, Hat Kid skipped downtown to get her books. She gathered big, dusty books written by dusty old men, setting them down on a table by her book. Task completed, she found herself wandering the silent towers of books. What was she looking for? She’d know when she found it.   
  
  
Her eyes settled on a big book, the title on the spine screaming, “EVERYTHING ABOUT VAMPIRES.” Hat Kid knew a Vampire. Heck, Snatcher was practically her Uncle, even if he tried to be aloof about it.  Maybe this book could help?   
  
  
As Hat Kid reached to grab it, another hand reached for it as well. “Oh! Terribly sorry there!” the owner of the hand whispered. “Didn’t see you there, fellow library guest.”   
  
  
The owner of the hand was tall and lanky young man, with a thin face and black greasy hair. He had a grey coat, black pants and a dark grey hat with a wide brim. He had a bandage over his nose, and from what she could tell, it looked like it had been broken recently. He smiled softly at her. “You can take it.” Gesturing towards the books in his hands, he adds, “I have lots.”   
  
  
In his hands were other informative books on monsters. Hat Kid’s heart sank. Was this a Monster Hunter?   
  
  
In the few months she had spent living with her new family comprised of Monsters, she had learnt about how cruel and truly, well, monstrous Monster Hunters were. And how they were everywhere. “Y-You like Monsters?” she whispered with a fake smile. She had to protect her family, even if that meant being buddy-buddy with a Monster Hunter to get more info.   
  
  
He nodded. “I do! I find them truly fascinating and amazing.”   
  
  
“Me too!” she pointed to her stack of books at a table. “Wanna come join me and we can talk?”   
  
  
Tilting his head for a moment in thought, eventually he strode over to the table and sat down in a chair. “I’ve been into learning about Monsters ever since I was young.”   
  
  
“What would you do if they were real?” Hat Kid asked quietly. A bit of a straightforward question, but vital. “I’d keep one as a pet!”   
  
  
“Well…” he hummed a bit. “I’d study them, document them, and then release them back to where they belong.”   
  
  
Hat Kid blinked. Certainly not a response she expected from a Monster Hunter. She pried a bit further. “You wouldn’t kill them?”   
  
  
“Heavens no!” he looked scared at the mention. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”   
  
  
He didn’t seem anything like a Monster Hunter. Hat Kid would have to keep a closer eye on him, though. So, she held out her hand for him to shake. “You can call me Hat Kid.”   
  
  
He accepted her proposal of a handshake. “Crowley, at your service young one.”   
  
  
The two quietly chatted for some time, discussing monsters and Crowley even helping her with math homework. He was an expert of multiplication, doing all the work in his head. But as the clock struck five o’clock, Hat Kid started gathering her things. “I gotta go home. My aunt will get worried.” As the two stood up, she hugged his legs. “Thanks for help with my homework!”   
  
  
“It was no issue. If you ever need help, you can usually find me here if you ever need help. It was a pleasure.” He replied with a smile.   
  
  
As Hat Kid ran out of the city and into the foresty suburbs, Crowley went in the opposite direction and headed deeper into the city.   


* * *

  
Crowley shifted the weight of books in his arms as he walked down the back alleyways to get to his apartment. He had no qualms with using the side streets and the roads less traveled, plus it meant avoiding people, which was always a plus.   
  
  
As he walked, he saw two large men in blue suits lugging big boxes inside a backdoor. He debated offering his help, but he had a large stack of books to deal with.   
  
  
Starting to walk past them, he heard a loud crash. He saw something roll out of a box and next to his feet. It was an animal skull. With no choice to help, he set his books down and picked up the skull.   
  
  
The skull was massive, bigger than his head. It looked avian in nature…but with massive, razor sharp teeth. In fascination, Crowley inspected the skull as he walked it back over to the burly men-   
  
  
“OW!” Crowley jerked one if his hands back, a bleeding cut on his finger. Guess the teeth were sharper than he thought. Sucking on the finger to clean the blood, he wordlessly offered one them the skull.   
  
  
Leering at him, the man in the blue suit snatched it out of his hand. “Get lost.” He growled at Crowley. Nodding, the young man grabbed his books and practically sprinted out of there. No way was he going to be beaten up for being nice.   
  
  
Once at a good distance away, Crowley went to inspect the cut on his finger. But even though it still stung, the cut was gone.

 

* * *

 

Hat Kid hopped up the steps to the slightly secluded cottage, humming to herself as she did so. When she reached for the doorknob, she was instead tackled by an excited puppy. Well, WerePuppy.

  
“What took you so long?!” Mu barked, tail wagging as she bounced around Hat Kid.

  
Hat Kid stood up, dusting off her dress and cape. “I had to go to the library for school.”

  
“You were gone FOREVER! Don’t you know what day it is?!” tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for an answer before getting impatient enough to drag Hat Kid inside. “It’s a full moon! We only have a little bit to play before Moonrise!”

  
“Full moon already?”

  
“Hello sugar pie!” CC cooed from the kitchen. “Get everything you need for school?” various groceries hovered around CC as she put things away. “Full moon tonight, so we gotta lock up tight tonight!”

  
“Oh who cares about that! C’mon c’mon c’moooooon! Hat Kid!!” Mu darted around as Hat Kid set her backpack on the ground.    Once the pack left her hands, the hatted child found herself being dragged outside to play.

  
The sight of them playing outside made Cookie smile. Once she had put all the groceries away, and hid away a couple steaks for the morning, she grabbed a broom. “Snatcher dear! Time to wake up!” using the broom to loudly tap the ceiling to wake up the Vampire up in the attic. “C’mon now! I bought you some pork blood for the full moon!”

  
There were creaks from upstairs. A good sign. “I wouldn’t ask anyone else! We all know you’re the strongest, and the smartest, and the most handsome-"

  
“Say no more!” the attic stairs flew open, and the smug Vampire himself slid down them in his usually flashy way. Grinning, Snatcher bowed. **“Goooooood MORNING!”**

  
“It’s five in the afternoon, sweetie.” She replied, ruffling his hair. “Sleep well?”

  
Stretching like a cat would, he yawned, “As well as a century old pile of bones can.” After cracking his back, he hopped up to sit on the counter. “Didn’t we just have a full moon?”

  
“They sneak up on you, huh?”

  
Preening his hair, Snatcher grinned, making sure his fangs were clearly visible. “Now then! I heard rumors that you got me dinner? I’d very much like that.”

  
CC booped his nose playfully, turning back to the ham she had in the oven. “It’s not dinner time. Can you watch the girls for me?”   
  
  
Snatcher’s grin faded. Loudly sighing, he fixed his tie, grabbed his umbrella, and grumbled to himself under his breath as he went to stand outside.   
  
  
As the sun’s rays dipped behind the trees and the soft sunlight melted into a warm orange, the girls were shuffled inside. They were starting to worry; it was almost close to nightfall, and Conductor still wasn’t home.   
  
  
Mu was given dinner early, (mostly due to her incessant whining) she needed all the energy she could get on full moons. Shifting forms was no joke and took a lot of energy and calories to properly do it. In addition to this need for extra calories, were their more animalistic instincts acting up. This led to some very cranky WereBeasts.   
  
  
Around 5:45 pm, Conductor burst through the front door, panting and seeming frazzled. Evidently, he didn’t think he’d be cutting it this close to moonrise.   
  
“Hey, old man. You’re late.” Snatcher hissed from the couch.   
  
  
Conductor responded with a furious snarl, tossing his hat and black coat on the coat rack. “Ye don’t think I know that?!”   
  
  
Grooves nonchalantly followed behind. “Traffic was awful darlings, and there was an accident at work- “   
  
  
“That wasn’t MY fault!” Conductor snapped, untying his tie and handing it to a waiting Hat Kid. Grooves rolled his eyes behind his shades in a way that implied it was _absolutely_ Conductor’s fault.   
  
  
He stormed into the kitchen, Mu following close behind. She couldn’t leave for the forest without him, and she was especially excited. Normally she was locked in a room in the house during full moons, but Conductor said she was old enough to come with.   
  
  
CC carved him a slice of ham. “Cutting in a bit close, are we?”   
  
  
“Aye, issues at work. ‘M sorry.” He graciously took the ham, deciding for forgo the plate entirely and to tear into it with his teeth and claws.   
  
  
“C’mon, c’mon already!” Mu barked, already at the back door. “Let’s go, let’s go!”   
  
  
Growling to himself, Conductor barked back, “Don’t get yer tail in a twist! I’m right here.” Turning back to CC, he gave a sheepish grin. “We’ll be back in tha’ morning lassie. See ye then.”   
  
  
“Be safe!” she gave him a peck on the cheek, making him go scarlet in the face.

  
“If you get discovered I’ll hunt you down and kill you.” Snatcher called from the couch, sounding nonchalant about the death threat.   
  
  
“Don’t bite anyone, darlings!”   
  
  
Scoffing, Conductor snapped, “I know, I know! Good-bye!” with a slam of the backdoor, the two were gone into the night. 

 

* * *

 

Joel Schneider was a simple man. An older man with a small piece of land near the outskirts of the city where he ran a successful egg business. Tonight was like every other night. He was sitting in his big armchair, planning to fall asleep to the television. Nearby, Berniece, his ‘guard chicken’ clucked softly in her cat bed.  
  
  
Just as he was drifting off, Berniece started to loudly cluck at the door. Joel sighed. It was probably a raccoon or something, but until he dealt with it she’d cluck for hours. “Alright girl, it’s OK-“  
  
  
Something was wrong with the chickens. He could hear them squawk and screech fearfully from outside the sliding glass door. They weren’t in his line of vision, so he had no clue what was going on. “Are those Henderson punks messing with my chickens again?!”  
  
  
Grabbing his cane, Joel hobbled outside, Berniece at his side. “What have I told..you…”   
  
  
Looming next to the chicken coop was a monster. Joel had to guess almost twelve feet tall, its form tall and thin, wearing what looked like a coat and covered with black…fur? Feathers? He couldn’t tell due to the low light streaming from the open door. What he could clearly see were its two, huge white eyes. Shining like lighthouses at sea.  
  
  
Joel looked down slightly, seeing the _Thing_ holding several dead chickens in its talons. The _Thing_ acknowledged the old man briefly before turning back to its chicken feast. Dumbfounded, Joel watched the _Thing_ tear a chicken in half and gulp the bloody pieces down.  
  
  
Berniece loudly squawked at it, and after devouring another chicken, it glared at the two, hissing like an alligator.  
  
  
“Help! Help!” Joel cried, scrambling to grab Berniece and shamble back inside to call the police. From his glass window, whilst dialing the police, he watched helplessly as the _Monster_ devoured each and every chicken he had in the coop, including the eggs and even some of the wood in the feeding frenzy.   
  
  
When nothing was left for it to eat, the _Monster_ screeched, running off into the night to cause more chaos and bloodshed.


	5. The Crow Monster - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2!

Mornings after full moons are quiet. The process of ‘Shifting’ as WereBeasts called it was very, very tiring. Their bones broke, reformed in unnatural ways, teeth grew sharper, claws grew longer, fur and feathers split from their skin, and muscles tore and regrew together. Now do that twice in one night and add running around like a madman all night.

So it made sense that after full moons, all Conductor and Mu wanted to do was  _sleep._  So once they woke up in the morning, (often in the woods) they’d sleepily shuffle home to then pass out on the closest, softest surface they could manage.

Conductor had managed to find his way to his bed, where he immediately curled up and passed out. Thank God he didn’t have filming today, claiming yesterday there was an ‘issue with the script’ and he’d have to spend all day fixing it. Of course, there was no issue with the script. He’s the Conductor, his scripts were always perfect.

He purred as he buried himself deeper into his blankets and quilts. This was what he had planned for the entire day, maybe wake up and devour a steak, and then sleep some more.

But plans change.

Cookie burst into the room, and she sounded  _pissed_. “You have a lot of explaining to do! Get up!”

Grumbling, Conductor’s first response was to take his pillow and cover his head with it. Clearly, she didn’t appreciate that, as she ripped the blankets off him. “No! This is an emergency! Get up!”

“L-Lass! I don’t have a shirt-“ he squeaked, sleepiness shifting to surprise, concern, and embarrassment. Something must have been wrong if she was this adamant and angry.

CC rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen shirtless guys. Now get dressed and get downstairs  _now.”_ She hissed, slamming the door behind her.

Stumbling downstairs after throwing on a white button-down, Conductor noticed Mu sitting at the table, still half asleep. Looks like she too was forced out of bed for whatever emergency was going on.

“You two were seen!” CC shouted, pointing to a paused news report on the television. On said news report screamed the headline;  _“GIANT MONSTER TERRORIZES FARMS! Local livestock devoured by massive beast!”_

“WHAT?!” Conductor and Mu shouted simultaneously. They weren’t tired anymore, they were terrified.

Being seen was one of the worst things that could happen to a Monster. If you were seen, people got curious. When people get curious, you get found out. And when you’re found out, that’s when the Monster Hunters come.

“What. Did. I. Tell. You.” Snatcher hissed from the shadows. His glare sharp enough to cut through concrete, he loomed over the two. “I warned you. One of you were  _seen._ Do you know? What I have to  _do_ now?”

Faced at the prospect of death, or at least a very painful fight, Conductor scrambled for answers. Looking at the TV again, he paused, face shifting to confusion. “Wait, wait wait. Something isn’t adding up.”

Grabbing the remote, he turned the rest of the news report on. The handsome TV Reporter explained how a massive creature shrouded in darkness devoured three dozen chickens, two small goats and a pig on the small farms on the outskirts of town, and how more details were on their way. “Tha’s on the other side of town! There’s no way we’d be over there!”

“Yeah!” Mu piped up, getting indignantly angry over being falsely accused. “We woke up in the forest! We’d have to go aaaaalll the way around town to get to the farms, then come aaaaalll the way back before sunrise!”

Snatcher crossed his arms, still looking like he was out for blood. But then again, when  _wasn’t_ he? “OK, that’s one argument against overwhelming proof. Any thing else?”

“I’m telling ye! That wasn’t us!”

The tense moment was disturbed by Grooves opening the door, a newspaper under his arm. “Darlings? I cannot believe I’m saying this…but I’m siding with Conductor on this.”

“HA! DJ Peck Neck is on my side!”

Sighing, Grooves laid the paper on the table. “We have new, updated interviews and better descriptions. An interview of Mr. Joel Schneider describes the thing as impressively tall, and with black fur or feathers.”

“ _Black_ fur or feathers? None of us have black fur or feathers.” The little WereWolf said, pulling the paper closer.

“Kid, turn to page four. There’s a witness sketch.”

The sketch was of a strange being. Tall, with a long muzzle, sharp teeth and huge white eyes. While the sketch was primitive, there was no mistaking the key signs of a WereBeast. “So ha! Me and the lassie didn’t do it!” Conductor said smugly.

CC paused. “…then who did?”

* * *

Crowley was in  _agony._

Every fiber of his being felt like it had been ripped apart and shoddily put back together. His mind felt like a melted bowl of jello.

Currently - not that he was aware of this due to his current pain - his face was firmly smooshed against the floor, the rest of his body almost falling out of bed.

Mumbling and grumbling nonsense under his breath, he shifted to look at the clock. Three in the afternoon. Thank God he didn’t have work today.

Sudden, stabbing pain in his stomach demanded his attention. It felt like his organs were revolting and eating each other.

He fell onto the floor from his bed and, using every ounce of strength and will power he could squeeze out of his aching body, managed to shakily lean against the wall.

Slowly, painfully, Crowley managed to make it to the kitchen. He rested on the kitchen counter, panting and sweating.

His stomach growled, as if somehow Crowley had forgotten about how he was starving. Wincing, he reached into the cabinet and grabbed the first thing; a can of soup.

“… Peck it.” He snarled, popping the top off and chugging the cold, slimy soup inside. Normally, the idea of drinking uncooked soup would never cross Crowley’s mind. But these were strange circumstances.

After drinking five cans of soup as if they were cans of soda, he felt a  _little_ better.

He shuffled from the kitchen and fell facefirst on to the couch. “…something is wrong.” He muttered. “I must be coming down with something…” he felt his forehead, finding it coated with sweat. “A fever, maybe. Or a cold. Flu? Something like that…”

He had absolutely no recollection of last night. The last thing he remembered was locking the front door as he stepped out to get dinner at a nearby fast food joint. Then…nothing.

Crowley wasn’t an alcohol kind of guy, so the possibility of him getting black-out drunk was out of the question. Was he sick enough to black out?

Shivering, he shifted to get more comfortable on the couch. He hadn’t felt this bad since…well, he couldn’t remember. He was tired, achy, and just wanted to sleep.

Despite all the discomfort, Crowley sighed and fell asleep.

* * *

“So! There’s a new beastie in town.” Conductor pulled out a few pieces of paper and pencils. “We need to figure this out quick before tha’ Hunters come.”

“There’s a mystery to solve!” Hat Kid bounced excitedly in her seat. She had been asleep when all the ‘fun’ went down a few hours ago. And when she woke up, she found Conductor and Mu passed out on the couch.

When he woke up, her adoptive grandpa got straight to work. Calling his children for advice on the matter, calling old WereBeast friends, and planning on how to solve this issue. He woke Mu up, and got Hat Kid to help with a list of everything they knew so far.

Hat Kid hummed, looking at the sketch again. “They’re tall and have black feathers.”

“’hey like chickns.” Mu said with a mouthful of steak. It was uncooked, and she was tearing into it with her bare hands and teeth.

“Ah don’t wanna see ye eat, Lass.” He scolded, writing down what Hat Kid had said. “Chew yer food.”

After a pause, she tried again. “They like chickens.”

It went on the list. More points were added, ‘Lives near the farms’, ‘walks on two legs’, and ‘not stealthy’.

Looking at the paper a bit closer, the hatted child noticed something. “This little article says how there’s trash all over the streets in the city and signs, trash cans, and mailboxes were destroyed. Think it’s connected?”

Tapping the pencil on his chin, Conductor replied, “Possible. If they live in the city, and tha’s where they shifted, there’s bound ta be damage there.”

He took the newspaper. “I’m nae an expert on tha’ thing, but from what I know, this isn’t a Beastie that moved here. This is most likely a baby. Just turned, or a youngin.”

Mu frowned, finishing off her steak. “How on Earth can you tell from the newspaper?”

“This Beastie is sloppy. Experienced ones, like meself, wouldn’t be so sloppy. I know not to attack farms close to cities. And with how many missing animals? It sounds like their first full moon.”

“Poor thing!” Hat Kid cooed. “They probably don’t know what they’re doing.”

“Don’t feel too sympathetic, kid.” The mustached girl huffed.

“You’re only a year older than me-“

“It’s because of this  _jerk_  that we might be discovered and have to move!”

“I wouldn’t call them a jerk,” Conductor said, trying to settle the two down. “But I  _would_ call them a buffoon.”

Hat Kid shot up, raising a hand in the air. “I have an idea! I have an idea! What if we go talk to that farmer? Joel Schmoel or whatever?”

“Yeah! Shake him down for more info!”

Tapping the paper on the table, Conductor grumbled, “Well, we’re not doin that  _today_ , lasses. I’m still tired and I haven’t eaten yet. We can go tomorrow after recordin’. Sound good?” standing up, he added, “Plus, I don’t think this new beastie is any less exhausted than us. They won’t be doin anything anytime soon. Now, if ye’ll excuse me, I have a steak to get ta.”

* * *

Crowley’s alarm woke him up at 9 AM. Groaning, he turned it off. He was late for work, but seeing as how he still felt like death, he didn’t think he was going to go in today. So, he dialed the number and sat up on his couch.

“Hello? This is the Conductor’s office. He’s filming right now.” his boss didn’t answer, one of the employees did.

“Hey, This is Crowley? I’m uhh…” talking hurt, his throat was killing him. “I’m a background actor?”

“…yeah, you’re in the books. So uhm, what’s up? You’re late.”

“Yeah…I’m sick as a dog.” turning the phone away, Crowley coughed and hacked, feeling  _something_ in his mouth. He spit several blonde and brown feathers into his hand. “…yeah I’m  _really_ sick. I physically cannot come in today.”

“Well, the Conductor won’t be too happy…”

Crowley felt something rise in his throat; anger. And said anger turned into a rough snarl, “You can tell him to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine! I can’t come in today!” hanging up before hearing what the employee said, he tossed the phone on the chair nearby and curled back up on the couch.

After a few minutes, he sat up again. He couldn’t fight whatever weird, super-flu with an empty stomach. He couldn’t have soup, seeing as how he had drunk them all yesterday. Stumbling into the kitchen, he tried to think of other types of food that would help.

Ignoring all the vegetables and fruits in the fridge, he went straight for the eggs and milk. Cracking all the eggs he had (five) into a bowl, he didn’t have the patience to cook them in the traditional sense, so he shoved the bowl in the microwave to cook them. As the eggs were in the microwave, he drank the milk straight from the carton; a habit he personally found disgusting, yet he drank the entire half gallon in several minutes.

He wolfed down the rubbery, microwaved eggs, tossing the bowl into the sink. Despite his large breakfast of gross eggs and half a gallon of milk, he was  _still_ hungry. “Something  _definitely_ isn’t right.” He groaned, leaning against the fridge. Crowley hiccupped, coughing up more feathers. Oh right, the feather thing. He was so distracted by the outburst earlier he had totally forgotten.

Crowley had no idea how to rationalize the fact that he was coughing up feathers. “…they must’ve been…in the soup. Chicken soup that got some chicken feathers in it. That’s…that must be what happened.”

“Everything’s OK. You’re just sick. Everything is going to be fine…” Mumbling this under his breath, he went to the bathroom. Splashing some water on his face, he felt a little better. He wasn’t overheating now-

Looking in the mirror, Crowley yelped in surprise, stepping back. Slowly, he stepped closer. He looked  _awful._ Pale and clammy, hair a mess, and dark circles around his eyes. But that’s not what got his attention. His ears were pointed and longer than they were before. He had scruff on his chin and on the sides of his face where they  _definitely_ weren’t there before. He opened his mouth, having to do a double take to notice that his teeth were sharp.

“Everything is OK. Everything is OK-“ he repeated, his tone frantic and fearful. He dug his nails into the counter, digging them in so deep he left claw marks on the counter.

_“Everything is NOT OK…”_


	6. The Crow Monster - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hopefully I can wrap this up next chapter???

Conductor honked the horn of his rusty old car. “Oi! Ye two! C’mon, we need ta’ go see the farmer!”

  
“Coming! Coming!” Hat Kid hopped down the steps, wearing her old Halloween detective costume. It was sort of a good luck charm; there was something that needed to be solved, why not wear a detective outfit?

  
“Ye look adorable.” Conductor opened the car door for her. “Where’s the pup?”

  
“Wait! Don’t go without me!” Mu whined, running to the car and hopping inside. “I had to grab my toy.” She held up a small plushie that looked like it had been through a cement mixer. Its face was bitten off, and bits and pieces were missing. But Mu held it close, a big smile on her face.

  
“There was an accident on set.” He explained, starting the car up and driving. “So I have more time to go talk to this farmer.”

  
Hat Kid smirked. “Did you put the set on fire again? Have you thought of having fake fire? Or maybe removing that scene?”

  
“That scene is important!! I’m not getting rid of it!”

  
Mu leaned forward. “So who’s this farmer guy we gotta talk to? Are we gonna beat him up?!”

  
Conductor sighed, happy for a topic change. “Joel Schneider. He ran a chicken farm. I called ahead of time, asked if we could take a look around for a documentary.”

  
“So, when do we get to shake him down already?!”

  
After adjusting his mirror so he could properly glare at Mu without running them off the road, he growled, “We’re NOT doin’ that, lassie. We’re going ta’ talk to the nice man, get all the info we can, and maaaaaaaybe go to tha’ diner we like.”

  
Hat Kid gasped, leaning forward in her seat. “With the big ice cream sundaes?! The ones almost as big as my head?!”

  
Chuckling, he replied, “I won’t tell Cookie if ye don’t.”

  
They drove to Mr. Schneider’s farm, Conductor and Mu taking an extra second to make sure her tail was hidden and that she wouldn’t try to bite the old man. Meanwhile, Hat Kid skipped to the front door, giving it a firm, yet polite knock.

  
An elderly man holding a chicken opened the door. “Wassat? Who’re you?”

  
“Hi! I’m…” Hat Kid paused. What excuse did Conductor come up with again? 

“I’m here to ask questions for a report on local news!”

“Erm, Lass?” Conductor called behind her. “We’re here for the documentary info?”

  
“I’m here because I’m bored.” Mu added.

  
The old man shrugged. “Whatever, come on back, I’ll show you the coop. Or, what’s left of it.”

  
Joel led the three to the shredded remnants of the coop, surrounded by bits of chicken skeletons and feathers. Already the scene was odd, when you see a chicken coop you automatically assume there would be chickens nearby, but it was eerily quiet.

  
And there were crows everywhere! On the fence, on the ground, on the remains of the coop, on the telephone pole wire nearby; crows as far as they could see. Pecking at the tiny bits of chicken that were left behind or anything else that got their attention.

  
Mu charged forward, yelling a battle cry as she chased the crows around. Once the path was clear of the dark birds, Hat Kid got out her trusty dollar store magnifying glass and began to look. Conductor asked Joel, “So yer were minding yer own- OW!!” 

  
He stepped back, seeing a chicken where he once stood. “Did that just peck me?!” How  _dare_  this uncooked chicken dinner peck at him. Did it not know he was at the top of the pecking order?

  
“Aw, that’s just Berniece.” Joel chuckled. “She’s my guard-chicken. We didn’t get any roosters, so she assumed the role.”

  
Conductor growled quietly, reigning back the instincts to bite the chicken’s head off. “…alright. Anyways, tell me about the creature.”

Scratching his chin, the old farmer replied slowly, “Welp, not much else I haven’t said. Real tall, covered in what I think is black feathers. Had a really long…muzzle. Maybe a beak…I couldn’t see so well.” He gave Conductor a suspicious look. “The media say it’s a bear…but I know the truth…”

  
Glancing towards the girls, Conductor tried to remain calm. “Oh really? What is it?”

  
“…have you ever heard…of the Moth Man?”

  
False alarm. Conductor had to use all of his willpower not to burst out laughing. “O-Oh really, now. That sounds…interestin’.”

  
“Conductor! Conductor we found something!!” Hat Kid ran up, dragging her grampa by the sleeve to a spot where Mu sat nearby. In the dirt was the faintest imprint of a footprint. “We found a clue!”

  
Ruffling the two girls’ hair, he praised, “Well done, lasses! Yer top-notch detectives!” He could tell the footprint was avian, thinner too. Probably not a big, OwlBear monster like himself-

  
Before he could inspect it anymore, a crow flew down on the footprint and cawed at them. 

  
“Oi, shoo! Get outta here with ya!”

  
“The crows have been on my farm ever since that Mothman came through.” Joel added. Hat Kid shot Conductor a confused look, but he gestured for her to ask later.

  
“They’re annoying! I keep chasing them but they won’t go away!” Mu snarled, trying to scare the crows away. But they weren’t impressed. All of them starting to caw and screech at them.

  
Conductor and Joel shook hands. “Thank ye for all yer help. It means a lot to us.”

  
“I’m just glad for the company. I get lonely when it’s just me and Berniece.” Joel drawled, letting Berniece flutter up to sit on his shoulder and glare at the three.

  
The three got back in the car, waving at the farmer as they drove off. Once they were far enough away, Conductor sighed. “If I were there for any longer, I woulda’ bitten that chicken’s head off.” 

  
Mu, already biting her plushie she brought, added, “I felt the same way! But with the crows. They were too fast for me to catch.” She pouted, biting the plushie more.

  
“How about we go to that diner now?” Hat Kid offered, trying to change the mood from mauling birds to something, anything, else. “We can get lunch! And after, can you drop me off at the library to return books?”

  
Spitting out stuffing from her toy, the mustached girl exclaimed, “Yeah! Yeah and ice cream!”

  
“Alright, I have some time before recording starts again.” He chuckled. “Don’t tell CC we went, alright? I uh…told her I’d eat ‘healthier’.  And I’m sure she wouldn’t be too happy with me spoiling ye two so much.”

  
“Eating healthy is overrated.” Mu scoffed. “Now let’s go!”

* * *

Comfort was something Crowley took very seriously; and in a crisis like this, it was of utmost importance to be as physically comfortable as he could. As he frantically looked on medical websites to try to see what was wrong, he had made himself a little blanket fort on the couch.

  
His online searches were proving fruitless; results weren’t even close. He highly doubted he had cancer, or whatever rare diseases it was suggesting. He  _highly_  doubted he had some rare disease from western Guatemala.

  
His fingers, no, his claws dug into the couch, ripping it open to reveal the stuffing inside. His stomach churned with anxiety and fear – and from scarfing down all the food in the fridge. This godforsaken hunger was quickly becoming more annoying than worrisome. He had gone grocery shopping a few days ago and it was supposed to last him two weeks. But now it was practically all gone.

  
“…maybe some fresh air would do me some good.” Crowley muttered, setting his phone down. Being cooped up like some sort of recluse probably wasn’t good on his mental state, and most of his aches had gone away. “Maybe it’d be a good way to get some of my shopping done.” He growled, angry at himself mostly.

  
He changed out of his sweaty pajamas, put on his coat and hat, took a mental note of what he needed to get (everything), and grabbed old library books that needed to be returned. He could return them on the way to the store. But, as he would soon find out, Crowley made a terrible decision and should’ve just stayed home and took another nap.

  
As soon as he stepped into the streets, he knew things were different. It was as if his senses had gotten one hundred times better. Smells and sounds that he wasn’t aware of were suddenly in his face and everywhere. Grimacing, Crowley shoved his hat further down his head, and began to walk towards the library.

  
Quickly he realized he was being followed by an unlikely stalker. Crowley turned around to see a small group of crows behind him. Staring at him. “Crows following a Crowley.” He chuckled. “Funny.” 

  
He took a step further. “Go on, fly home.” The birds didn’t move. One particularly bold one flapped up and landed on his hat! Frozen in surprise, Crowley glanced up at the crow sitting on his hat. “…well, you’re not hurting anyone, I suppose. Welcome aboard, passenger.”

  
Turning back in the direction of the store, he got many stares along the way. Probably because he had pointed ears, sharp teeth and a crow sitting on his hat. Upon reaching the library, he took off his hat to shake off the crow and stepped inside before the crow could make its way back on its perch.

 

Crowley went to the librarian to return his books. He had never noticed it before, but he could smell her perfume and it made his eyes water. Was it always this strong? He made the process as fast as he could to get away from the awful smells.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar purple top hat. It was the little kid he helped the other day! She seemed confused, looking around for a book. He  _really_  didn’t want to ask the librarian again, so he went over to help.

* * *

Hat Kid was trying to find books on WereBeasts. Conductor told her that they couldn’t do much on solving the case over lunch, they’d have to wait until it got closer to the full moon to get more proof. But she could still research!

  
She felt a light tap on her shoulder. Whirling around, she smiled at the young man that hat helped her last time, but her smile faltered. He looked  _awful_. His hair and clothes were a mess, he had bags under his eyes, and he looked really scruffy. When he smiled, she couldn’t help but notice his sharp canines.

  
“H-Hi Crowley.” She stuttered.  _What happened to him?!_

  
“Hello, small child.” He said, ruffling her hair. “I saw that you were looking for something?”

  
Hat Kid scrunched her nose in thought. “Are you feeling OK?”

  
Crowley looked anxious and sweaty. Scratching the sides of his face, he stammered, “Well, well I-I feel fine! I-I just got got a little sick that’s all-” There was a loud growl that cut him off. His face went red and he shrank from embarrassment.

  
Hat Kid put the pieces together. “You sound hungry. Are you sure you’ve been feeling alright?”

  
“I-I missed breakfast.” He said quickly. But the way he said didn’t feel right. Like he was lying through his teeth.

  
Pulling out a granola bar from her bag, she offered it to him. “You sure? I can give you-“

  
Crowley grabbed the granola bar, quickly unwrapping it and starting to eat it. Once he had scarfed it down, he managed a quiet, “T-Thank you. Do you need help with a book?”

  
“Well,” Hat Kid glanced up on the taller shelves. “Can you hand me that Werewolf book?”

  
He did as she asked, handing her the book. “Werewolves are always fun to read. Is this for school? Or, personal enjoyment?”

  
“Personal enjoyment.” She flipped open to the table of context, scanning for ‘how to spot a Werewolf’.

  
Crowley bowed slightly. “It was good to see you again, fellow library-goer.” He left quickly after that.

  
Hat Kid found the list of ways to spot a WereBeast, and her eyes went wider and wider with each bullet point. Fatigue? Messy hair? Looks dirty? Scruffy? Sharper teeth? Increased appetite?

  
Slowly, she closed the book. Crowley was tall. Almost as tall as Snatcher. And he had black hair. He certainly looked different…No…it couldn’t…

  
“…is Crowley the WereBeast?”


	7. The Crow Monster - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LAST PART BABY

Hat Kid raced down the street, frantically trying to keep everything in her backpack with one hand and dial Conductor’s phone with the other. 

She heard him pick up the phone. “’Ello lassie-“

“CONDUCTOR!! I KNOW WHO THE WEREBEAST IS!!” she practically screamed into the phone. Silence from the other line.

“Slow down. Tell me everything. And don’t shout! Ye don’t know who could be listenin’ lass!” he hissed.

Squeaking in fear, Hat Kid darted down a side street. No hunters could hear her now! “I was at the library returning books, and I ran into someone I knew! And I think he’s the WereBeast!”

In his studio, Conductor hummed in thought. “How do ye know?” It was going to be a busy recording day, but one of his actors had called in sick; and if Hat Kid was right, he might have to call it early.

“His name’s Crowley. We met in the library the day of the full moon, and he seemed fine!” she tripped a little, dropping her books. As she bent down to pick them up, she continued. “And I saw him again today and he looked real bad. He looked scruffy! Like you and Mu do!”

Conductor paused. He knew a Crowley, one of his actors. The one who called in sick. He knew this city wasn’t the biggest…but there was no way they were talking about the same kid, right? “Hold that thought, lass.”

Whistling his assistant over, Conductor asked, “Can I have the information on Crowley?”

“Crowley Chang?” the assistant asked, flipping through papers. “He…uh…called in sick. Very sick, it sounded.”

“I wanted his Information, not his life story.” Conductor repeated. Getting the small packet of papers, he flipped through it to find a picture. Grabbing the phone again, he asked Hat Kid, “Can ye describe him, lass?”

“Yeah! He’s tall, he had kinda greasy black hair that covered one eye? Oh and he had a brimmed hat.”

Using the picture as a reference, he replied, “Yeh! I think he works fer me. He called in sick-“

“Maybe he called in sick because he’s still in pain from shifting!!” she shouted from over the phone.

Conductor was stunned into silence. It made a lot of sense, and he trusted Hat Kid a lot, but…what if she was wrong? “…alright lassie. I’ll see what I can do. I’m not…particularly close to my actors.”

Conductor remembered Crowley very well. On the first day of work they had a fight scene and the young man had broken his nose on the first day. He spent the rest of the day crying and sobbing and bleeding on all the props like a baby. It was just a broken nose, and Conductor had put his nose back in place!

He didn’t really like Crowley after that.

But Hat Kid had a lead, and he had to follow through.

* * *

Just as Crowley managed to walk to the grocery store to do some shopping, his phone rang. Angrily grumbling to himself about ‘how he’s never going to get his shopping done’, he answered with an irritated, “Hello? What do you want?”

“Do ye always answer the phone like that?”

Crowley’s blood ran cold as he slowly lowered the phone. In silence he briefly flashed every worst possible scenario in his head. As the initial panic subsided, he raised the phone back up. “Hello sir. I’m sorry I called in sick.”

“It happens. Where are ye lad? We need ta talk.”

“W-Well I’m at the store. I uh, ran out of soup.” He found himself in the deli, eyeing the cuts of meat hungrily. He wasn’t even a big fan of cold cuts, but suddenly he was drooling at the though of eating a nice slice of ham.

“Listen, ye know that park behind the studio?”

“…yeeeahhh?” 

“I need ye to come meet me there ASAP. Ye can do yer shoppin’ later. This is more important.”

Crowley growled under his breath. He was  _never_  going to get a decent bite to eat at this rate. “Sir, I’m sure this is important, but can it PLEASE wait?” he snarled.

Conductor growled back, “NO. It’s _CAN’T_. Call me when yer close. Come alone.”  _Click._

The grip on his phone tightening, Crowley grit his teeth. Storming out of the store muttering, “Fine. Fine. Whatever. Peck neck.”

* * *

Conductor tapped his foot against the pavement as he waited in the park. “Christ, how far is he?!” the old man grumbled under his breath, pulling out a pack of smokes. CC pitched a fit every time he tried to smoke at the house, and he liked her way too much to argue. 

His ears twitched, hearing someone approach from the other end of the park. It was Crowley, yes, but also a large murder of crows? Strange. Snuffing out the cigarette and tossing it on the ground, Conductor marched closer.

As he came closer, he could hear the younger man try to shoo the crows away. Coming even closer, Conductor was hit with a wave of smells, a gross mix of sweat and WereBeast musk. To other creatures, it was undetectable. But to him? Overwhelming.

“Laddie!” Conductor barked, and the young man yelped in fear. The crows immediately scattered, leaving the two in a short silence.

“Hello, uhm, sir. It is. Good. To see you.” Crowley stuttered, awkwardly pausing in between words. “What did you. Wish to speak to me about?”

Conductor took a moment to take a good look at him. Scruffy, dirty, had pointed ears and sharp teeth, smelled like a Werebeast; everything lined up. “Have ye…noticed anything strange going on, lad?”

“I have been. Sick.” With a weak smile, Crowley sniffled as if to prove his point. “Surely it is…nothing…to…” his voice trailed off. His posture stiffened and his gaze went distant.

Well that wasn’t what Conductor expected. Frowning he muttered, “…whadda what?” He snapped his fingers in front of Crowley. No reaction. He looked behind him, and he realized what was going on.

There was a pigeon. Sitting on the cement like an idiot. “Oooooh. I get it.” Conductor couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yer hunting!”

Hunting instincts were something every WereBeast had to deal with. Urges to chase down and maul tiny animals for enjoyment and food. It was irritating at best.

Looking back at Crowley, Conductor muttered, “Hungry, are ya? I wouldn’t go after a pigeon then. Mostly bone.” He knew Crowley wouldn’t answer. The young WereBeast was lost in his own little world, with only one thing on his mind.  _Eat._

Crowley took a small step forward. Then another. And another. Conductor wondered when to step in, but he had never seen it from this side before. Did he do this too? Did he look like this much of an idiot? He hoped not.

More small steps forward. Crowley was sitting in front of the pigeon now. Slowly he reached out, then he grabbed the pigeon with both hands. Time to intervene.

Conductor put a hand on his shoulder, shaking the young man. “Oi! C’mon snap out of it!” Conductor was in  _no mood_  to watch someone eat a pigeon. He could do that himself just fine, thank you.

Crowley blinked, shaking his head as his shoulders slumped. “…what happened?” he looked at the pigeon in his clawed hands. It cooed confusingly at him. “Why is there a pigeon in my hands?”

“Ye were gonna eat it.” Conductor lit a cigarette. “Just tear its head cleaaaan off. The usual.”

Sputtering, the young man choked out, “W-What?! You’re joking. Haah! Very funny sir!”

Conductor took a long drag on his cigarette.

“S-Sir??”

“I’m not gonna sugar coat this lad. Yer a WereBeast.” He flicked the cigarette into the grass. “Every full moon, your bones with break, your skin will tear, and you will lose every shred of humanity you have. You’ll become a feral beastie and run around in a constant hunt for blood. Sometimes ye kill people. Sometimes ye don’t. It’s the life you live now.”

Crowley started laughing. He laughs and laughs, and as his laughter fades he falls backwards onto the concrete, completely unconscious.

“…Peck.”

* * *

Hat Kid opened the front door, calling out, “I’m hooooome!” She headed to the kitchen, greeting CC with a hug. “Hi Cookie!!”

CC returned the hug, lifting Hat Kid off the ground. “There’s my sweetie! Was the library OK?”

“It was OK! I got some good books for the WereBeast hunt!” Hat Kid decided to omit Crowley for now, just in case her hunch was incorrect.

“That’s good!” Cookie leaned a bit closer. “Snatcher’s being a bit testy today. I think he’s cranky because he’s out of blood. Be careful alright?”

“Snatcher would never hurt me!”

“Oh no, that’s not what I’m suggesting at all sugar.” CC sighed. “I mean he’s just being a whiny jerk.”

“Oh.”

Hat Kid was then tackled by an excited puppy. Well, WerePuppy. “There you are!! Who said you could go?!”

“It was just to the library, Mu!” Hat Kid explained, trying to push Mu off her. This only succeeded in starting a wrestling match between the two girls.

But this happy moment was disturbed when Conductor kicked open the front door, dragging an unconscious twenty-something-year-old into the house. “SO, FUNNY STORY!” Conductor shouted, dragging the kid onto the couch. “I found the WereBeast!”

Hat Kid was  _mortified_. She never wanted anyone to get hurt! Pushing past Conductor to get to Crowley, she asked, “What did you do to him?!”

Sounding offended, her grampa huffed, “I didn’t  _do_  anything! I explained his situation, and the peck neck fainted on me!”

“Were you a jerk about it?” CC glared at him as she set a pillow behind Crowley’s head. “How did you tell him?”

Conductor shifted nervously. “W-Well I certainly didn’t beat around the bush-”

“Oh, why you  _shouldn’t_  have!!”

All of them turned to see Snatcher looming over the couch, reaching to grab the unconscious man’s wrist. He had dark circles under his eyes (darker than usual) and he was shaking slightly. Signs of starvation. “How kind of you to get me a meal!” he grinned at them, eye twitching. “A little on the scrawny side, but who am I to say no to lunch?”

“Better him than me.” Conductor muttered, making no moves to stop him.

Hat Kid shouted, “YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BITE HIM!”

Snatcher was taken aback by her shouting, but he quickly shook off his surprise. Glaring at her, his grip on Crowley’s wrist tightened.  _“And who’s going to stop me, exactly?”_

“Me!” CC stepped forward, and Snatcher hissed at her.  _Hissed_  at her! “Hey! You can’t bite him and hissing at me isn’t going to change my mind!” CC crossed her arms with a huff.

“If what the old man said is true,” Snatcher continued, voice becoming louder. “Then you should be  _HAPPY_  I’m offering to…’take care of him’!”

“Are you suggesting you KILL him?!”

And that set off a very loud argument between them. CC, Mu and Hat Kid saying how murder by a Vampire feeding on most of your blood is  _not_  the best solution, where as Snatcher and Conductor (albeit rather begrudgingly) saying how it was the  _best_  solution.

After several minutes, Snatcher had enough. “LOOK. I’m biting this kid and you can’t stop me-“ He yelped in pain as Mu bit down  _hard_ on his leg. 

Using this distraction to her advantage, Hat Kid sat on the couch next to Crowley. “If you bite him, I’ll never talk to you again!” she loudly threatened, sending the argument to a screeching halt.

“…never talk to me again?” she could see Snatcher consider his options. His ears twitched and he shivered slightly as he thought.

Before he could consider, there was a quiet, “Uhm, hello there. Where. Am I?”  
Crowley had woken up and was sitting up on the couch. He seemed really disoriented, but calmed down a little bit at seeing Hat Kid. “Hello there, fellow library goer!”

Snatcher leaned and hissed in CC’s ear, “LAST CHANCE! _Let me bite him!_ ”

“You’re not biting him! You can buy your own pig’s blood now, punk!” she hissed back, nudging him out of the way to tend to her guest. He snarled under his breath and stormed upstairs.

“Hi sweetie!” she greeted, holding out a hand for Crowley to shake. “I’m CC! I’m friends with Conductor. I heard he was…not the nicest?”

Crowley stuttered as she sat next to him. “W-Well, he was going off about me. Being a….WereMonster?”

“I said a WereBEAST, peck neck!”

Cookie shot the old man a glare which quickly shut him up. “You’re at our house. You fainted, sugar! Are you feeling alright? What’s your name?”

“His name is Crowley and he’s super nice and helped me at the library! He likes monster books like me.” Hat Kid interrupted. She hugged his arm, nuzzling her face against it.

“We met at the library. She’s quite nice.” He ruffled her hair with the hand currently not being hugged. Turning back to CC, he frowned. “I haven’t been feeling one-hundred percent, lately. Aches and fatigue. And most irritatingly-“ Crowley was interrupted by a growling from his stomach. Immediately his face went red and he tried to hide his face with his hat. “…I’m quite hungry.”

“I’m sure we have something for you to eat.” CC pet his hand comfortingly. “Hattie, can you go look around?”

When she sped off to the kitchen to grab something, Cookie gestured Conductor over. “Now then, we need to have a serious talk.”

“A-About. What? Exactly.” Crowley looked very uncomfortable. He tugged at his collar. “Did I…do something wrong??”

“No no! It wasn’t your fault! …But I’m afraid this isn’t good news.”

“To put it simply laddie, yer not quite…” Conductor paused. He really didn’t want to make Crowley faint again. “….human. Anymore.”

The young man paled. “W-What do you mean?”

“Don’t ye go fainting on me laddie.”

CC took one of Crowley’s hand in her own. “It’s OK! Don’t faint on us! You like monster books right?”

Crowley was quiet. “…am I a vampire?”

Snatcher’s laughter could be heard all the way upstairs.  _“HE THINKS HE’S A VAMPIRE! HAHAHAHAA!”_  Conductor merely sighed, holding his head in his hands.

“You’re on the right track.” CC cooed. “But not quite. You know WereWolves?”

“They were never my…main interest. I was more. Interested in. Asian mythos. European was a side interest.” Crowley stammered, scratching the side of his face nervously.

“Well…yer better start readin’ about them laddie. Because yer one now!” Conductor blurted out, earning a fierce glare from CC.

Crowley started hyperventilating. Stroking Crowley’s hand, she quickly adds, “It’s OK! Relax! Relax.”

“I’m dreaming.” Laughing and growing pale, the young man stood up from the couch. “This isn’t real. Monster’s aren’t real.”

“Ye’ve been noticing things, laddie?” Conductor leaned back nonchalantly. “Been acting funny? Ye been noticing things in the mirror?”

Meanwhile, Mu crept closer, sniffing around. “You _smell_  like a monster. And like someone who needs a shower.”

Conductor stood up to try (and fail) to match Crowley’s height. “Yer teeth and nails have been getting sharper? Yer scruffier than usual, no matter how much ye shave and cut?” 

Crowley glanced away. “…maybe.”

The old man stepped closer. “Yer face and arms are itchy? Like something is trying ta’ break through? Yer bones ache, as if they’ve been broken? Smells and sounds are louder and more noticeable, even unbearable?”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at.”

“Yer jaw aches. Ye want to bite things. Ye have cravings for  _blood_ and  _meat_  and no matter how much ye try ye can’t completely push them away, can ye?”

Sweating, Crowley spat, “I don’t understand! Monster’s don’t exist, and I am NOT one-“ Yelping in surprise, he looked down at his back.

Mu was holding something puffy and black in her hands. She grinned at him. “Found your tail.”

“I-I…have a tail.” Crowley repeated slowly, looking as if his entire world had been shattered.

“Ye have a tail.” Conductor repeated, nodding. He was just happy it finally got through to the young man.

“Listen, if it makes you feel better-“ Mu let go of Crowley’s tail and held her own in her hand. “I have one too!”

Crowley slowly sat back down. “…tails….and claws…and fangs…”

“And magic!” CC pat his shoulder. “Welcome to the family! You may not be human anymore, but you’ve gained a bunch of new friends!”

“This is…a lot to comprehend.” Crowley muttered. “I’m still somewhat convinced I’m dreaming.”

Hat Kid burst into the room with a bag of beef jerky. “I found some beef jerky under Mu’s bed! Crowley can have it!”

“HEY THAT’S MINE!” Mu snarled, looking ready to tackle the other girl.

“Can’t you share with Crowley, sugar?” CC looked expectantly at the little puppy.

“No! He can’t!”

With an exasperated sigh, CC stood up and headed to the kitchen. “Fine! I have a steak hidden around here for him…” she trailed off as she entered the kitchen.

“Ye had a steak in there?!” Conductor called after her. “How did ye manage to hide it from me?!”

Hat Kid hopped on the couch after tossing the bag of beef jerky aside.  “Conductor, are you gonna take Crowley under your wing?”

Both of them did a double take. “I’m gonna do  _what?!”_  Conductor squawked, glancing over at Crowley with disdain. “And why would I do that?!”

“W-Why would he take me under his wing? He’s human isn’t he-“ A look of realization flashed on Crowley’s features. He managed a quiet squeak,   _“Oh my god you aren’t.”_

“Took ye long enough to realize.” With a huff, Conductor took off his overcoat. He rolled up his sleeves and plucked a small feather sprouting from his skin. “This look human to ye, laddie?” he twirled the feather between two claws. “What I was saying earlier is from experience.”

Crowley looked at the feather, then at Conductor. “You’re a bird?”

With a loud sigh, Conductor turned to Hat Kid. “Lass this idiot’s got a skull so thick I don’t even think there’s a brain in there.”

“That’s why he needs your help.” Hat Kid gave him a very sad look, one she knew would cut through him like a knife. “He’d  _die_  on his own.”

The two glanced back at Crowley, seeing him absentmindedly observe his claws. Reaching to scratch his face, only to scratch too hard and draw blood. “Oh, he’s hopeless.” Conductor sighed.

Placing a hand on Crowley’s shoulder, Conductor said, “Listen, laddie. Yer goin through a difficult time. Things are changing and ye don’t know what to do. But…” the old man glanced at his granddaughter. Hat Kid gave them a thumbs up. Begrudgingly, Conductor continued, “But yer not alone…I’ll help ye.”

“Yay!!” Hat Kid cheered, hugging both of them tight. “This is gonna be amazing!!”

CC brought Crowley a somewhat cooked steak, which he started to messily devour. The rest of the day was spent answering any questions he may have.

It had been a rough few days, but for the first time in a long time…

Everything was going be OK.


	8. Bumps in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some Conductor hurt/comfort  
> slight warning for animal death implications

Hat Kid groggily shook herself awake, groaning softly. It was the middle of the night, and she needed a glass of water. She gently pushed Mu off, watching her roll off the bed and onto the floor with a soft ‘thump!’. But the gently snoring continued, so clearly she didn’t mind. **  
**

Sleepily shuffling out of her room, she had to make it to the kitchen. It was just past CC’s and Conductor’s room, and just down the stairs. She had made the trips a dozen times before…but why did this time seem so scary? Was it how dark everything was? The long, distorted shadows?

Keeping close to the wall, she started to shuffle. Hat Kid passed CC’s room, hearing the quiet snores from within. She continued to shuffle, hearing creaks from upstairs; Snatcher perhaps? Continuing to shuffle, she started to pass by Conductor’s room.

She froze.

There were strange, muffled noises from behind the door. Crunching, cracking, squishy noises she couldn’t identify, and heavy breathing. She felt disgusted and terrified, but couldn’t move. Once she found herself able to tear herself away from the door, Hat Kid shuffled forward.

The floorboard creaked.

The noises stopped immediately, and Hat Kid found herself frozen again. She could hear footsteps coming closer, closer. The door squeaked open a crack.

Hat Kid gulped as she saw Conductor’s clawed hand emerge, gripping the side of the door. Hat Kid had to stifle a gag; his room smelt like death. His hand was shaking, scratching marks into the wood as his grip tightened; did his hand looked stained with something?

**“…what are little lambs doin’ out a bed?”**

He didn’t sound right, Conductor’s voice was gruff and shaking. “I-I wanted a glass of water.” Hat Kid squeaked.

Conductor grumbled softly, almost like a sigh. Slowly his hand retreated back into the darkness, leaving long scratches into the wood as he did so.  **“Go to bed, lassie.”**  the door shut, and she could hear him walk away. But the previous noises didn’t start back up.

Finding herself unfrozen, she bolted down the stairs and into the kitchen. What was that about?! That was terrifying!! Glancing at the calendar hanging on the wall, she sighed. Tomorrow was a full moon. Conductor was probably just on edge.

Still trembling, she got a glass of water. Hat Kid didn’t wanna go back upstairs. She didn’t wanna see Conductor again. She briefly considered sleeping on the couch, or asking to spend the night with Grooves. Peck, she was even thinking of going into the woods and curling up with Moony and Peony.

No. She wouldn’t be scared of her grampa. Conductor was just tense, and nothing more.

Putting her glass on the table, she tilted her hat back and started walking upstairs. Approaching Conductor’s room, she heard the strange noises again and went on tip-toe. But lady luck did not smile on her tonight.

Hat Kid tripped, landing with a thud and squeak in front of his door. She heard him curse, growling and storming to the door. The door flew open, and there Conductor stood.

He was shaking, trembling with anger. A hand on the doorway clenched and created deep clawmarks. His clothes, hands, and mouth were stained with a red mystery liquid, and Hat Kid didn’t want to think very deeply about that. Face shifted into a furious sneer, he loomed over her.

Conductor snarled, voice quivering as if trying to contain the rage _._ **“** **I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO** _ **GO BACK TO BED.”**_

Squealing in fear, she scrambled to her feet and ran to her room, slamming the door and locking it behind her. Panting, she peeked through the keyhole. He was still standing in the hall, eyes locked on her room. After a few tense moments, he skulked back to his room, closing it behind him.

Hat Kid was crying, shivering in fear, frozen in place. Trying to stifle her sobs, she crawled back into bed. When she felt Mu crawl into the bed as well, she didn’t kick her adopted sister out; instead snuggling closer for comfort.

A few rooms away, the old WereOwl sat on his bed, ears twitching as he picked up her sobs. He groaned, holding his head in his hands.  _“…wha’ is WRONG with ye laddie?…”_

 

* * *

 

“Hat Kid! Hat Kid wake up!”

Hat Kid found herself being shaken awake by Mu. Before she could even sit up, she found herself being dragged out of bed. “C’mon! CC’s making eggs and sausage and said I couldn’t have any until you’re downstairs!”

Once Mu had dragged Hat Kid to the top of the stairs, she bounded down to retrieve her eggs and sausage.

The hatted girl yawned and stretched, looking forward to her eggs and sausage. She had, in all honesty, forgotten about the night before. She hopped downstairs, cheerfully greeting Snatcher, Grooves, CC-

Seeing Conductor glumly sitting at the table triggered the memories of the night before. She was hoping that she had dreamt it, but she had a feeling that she didn’t. But he didn’t seem to notice her.

Tip-toeing behind him, her breath caught in her throat as he straightened in his seat. “Lass.” he said quietly. “…I need to talk to you.”

He pulled the chair next to him out for her. Hesitantly, Hat Kid joined him. Conductor wasn’t looking at her, and gripping his coffee mug so hard his knuckles were turning white. “I’m…I-I’m…” he took a deep breath. “…I’m so, so sorry lassie.”

“You are?” she asked quietly. Conductor was not an apologetic man. He was a prideful man who’d rather act like a jerk than swallow his pride.

“I acted…harshly. And cruelly. I never should’ve yelled at ye like that.” He started chugging his coffee, which she could only assume had some sort of alcohol in it. He set the empty cup down. “I know I’m…’testy’ around the full moon but tha’ was no excuse. I know I scared ye, and made ye cry. And I’m so, so sorry.”

Hat Kid smiled, sniffling softly. “It’s OK. You were really scary, but you didn’t mean it.”

“It won’t happen again. I promise.” he finally looked at her, giving her a shaky smile. He looked…tired. Reaching over, Hat Kid put her hands on one of his for comfort.

However, Conductor’s train of thought was completely derailed when Cookie placed a plate of delicious eggs in front of him. Hat Kid decided to let him wolf down his eggs (plus it was kinda gross to watch) to calmly eat her own plate of eggs while watching cartoons.

Sitting next to Snatcher with her eggs, he frowned. “Hey kid, I heard shouting last night. Everything alright? I will _gladly_ knock some sense into the old man if you want.”

Hat Kid shook her head and smiled. “Everything’s alright!”


	9. Flying Lessons Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What starts out as flying lessons devolve into Hat Kid questioning her vampire friend…

It had been a few days since it was discovered Hat Kid was an Imp. And the whole house had been thrown for a loop.

No one knew exactly what an imp such as Hat Kid was capable of, nor how to properly take care of one. 

They were learning fast, though. Sometimes, if she sneezed particularly hard, the little demon would shoot fire from her nose. Whenever she was upset shed light herself on fire. (Cookie had a field day trying to salvage the burnt clothes). She needed a lot more iron in her diet and her appetite was steadily growing.

But Hat Kid’s wings threw them the biggest curveball of them all.

The knowledge of her wings came out when she and Mu were roughhousing. The play fight quickly ended when the little Werewolf was smacked in the face with one of these wings and threw a tantrum.

When Snatcher found out Hat Kid had wings, he immediately claimed the responsibility of teaching her how to use them properly.

“I don’t know if I want the spooky to teach the lil Lassie how to fly!” Conductor growled, pouring himself a glass of unknown alcohol.

Snatcher scoffed. “Look, none of us know a lot about imps or demons. But I do know they can fly, and I can fly. C'mon! It’s the most logical thing to do!” He tapped his fingers on the table to calm himself down. “Someone needs to teach her how to control and use them properly.”

“He has a point, darling.” Grooves chimed in. “Can you fly, Conductor?”

The old man sighed, defeated. “No…I can’t. But I don’t want _him_ teaching her either!” Turning to Snatcher, he snarled, “I’ve never even seen yer wings, ye big liar!”

“Both of you calm down!” CC said, “I know finding out she’s an imp is surprising, but there is no need for this.”

“Hey! He’s the one yelling!” Snatcher hissed.

“Maybe so. But I know your tells. You’re shaking and you’re tapping the table, I can tell you’re upset.” She smirked.

“Let’s put it to a vote.” Grooves offered. “All for Snatcher teaching her how to fly?" 

Grooves, CC, and Snatcher raised their hands. Although the stitching on Grooves’ wrist came undone, and the hand fell to the floor.

"Does that mean you’re  _against_  me teaching the kid how to fly…or…?”

The corpse quickly picked the hand back up. “No no, I think you should. I’ve just been meaning to fix that.” He turned to Conductor. “Sorry, old friend! You’re outvoted.”

Conductor grumbled to himself before drinking what was left in his glass. “I still don’t like it. I’m goin’ ta bed.”

* * *

“Uhm, Snatcher? What are we doing on the roof?” Hat Kid asked, sticking close to Snatcher’s legs, in fear of slipping and falling.

“Well, kiddo, you’re an imp, right?” He asked, leaning down to look at her. “And little imps like you have wings, right?”

Slowly, Hat Kid unfurled her wings. Small, black, and leathery. “Yeah? Is this because I hit Mu with them? It was an accident, I promise!”

Snatcher spread his own wings; huge, purple wings that blocked her view of the sky. “Listen kiddo, You and I are the only ones here with wings. And as your guardian, it’s my job to teach you how to fly.”

Hat Kid pouted, “But I can fly!”

“Oh really, kid? Show me.”

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her wings. They fluttered, but not fast nor strong enough to lift her off the ground. “Hate to burst your bubble, kid. But that’s not flying.”

“My wings just aren’t big enough!” She shouts, hopping up and down to try and kickstart her little wings.

He knelt down to take a closer look. “Your form is all wrong. Let me see.” Gently, he took hold and moved her wings in small circles. “Like this. This is how bats do it.”

“Oh, OK.”

Snatcher lifts her up, holding her in his arms. “It took me quite some time to learn to fly, but you have the advantage of having a very smart and very handsome teacher.”

“Well, how _did_  you learn?” Hat Kid asks. Big mistake.

With a wicked grin, he replies, “Like this!” With that, he tosses her off the roof of the house.

Hat Kid screamed as she fell, frantically flapping her wings to try and save herself. Instead of hitting the unforgiving ground, she fell in CC’s arms, who happened to be walking back from taking out the trash.

CC looked at her, confused. Then she turned to the roof. “SNATCHER!? DID YOU THROW HER OFF THE  _ROOF?!”_

Snatcher poked his head from over the gutters. “Well, duh?”

She wasn’t very happy with his answer, using some magic to drag him off the roof by his hair. “Listen here, Mister! I am very unhappy!”

“OW! OW! Not the HAIR!” He hissed, trying to tug out of the magical grip. “That’s how I learned! Be grateful I didn’t throw her off a cliff like I did- OW!!”

CC dropped him and went inside, still holding Hat Kid in her arms. “Well, Snatcher’s grounded. From seeing you.”

“But who’s gonna teach me how to fly?” Hat Kid asked. She wasn’t sure if she still wanted Snatcher to teach her, but he made a good point. Who else could teach her?

“We’ll find someone else.” CC assured her, setting her on the couch. “I’ll call you for dinner, OK?”

* * *

Dinner was quiet. Snatcher was grounded from talking to Hat Kid, but he still joined the dinner table. He was uncharacteristically quiet, barely looking up from his (empty) plate.

He tried to explain once that he went through the motions of joining them at the table and having an empty plate just to feel less like a blood-sucking monster.

But now? It just made things awkward.

CC ignored it. “Well, lessons with Snatcher didn’t go so well. So we need to find Hat Kid a teacher.”

“Told ye it wouldn’t work!” Conductor laughed. “So, what’d he do?”

Hat Kid noticed Snatcher stiffen. CC did too. “Well, it’s not terribly important at the moment.” She said, giving Conductor a quick glance. Snatcher was already feeling awful, getting into a fight with the old man would just make things worse.

The rest of the night was uneventful. The moment dinner was over, Snatcher scrambled upstairs to eat his dinner, and CC sent the two girls to bed.

As Hat Kid was fluffing her pillow, she heard a gruff chuckle from the other side of the room. “Heheh, I heard the bat tried to throw you off the roof.” Mu growled.

“He was just trying to help.” Hat Kid said, a little defensively.

Mu crawled into Hat Kid’s bed, getting close to her face. “Some help he was! You could’ve  _DIED!_  I’m telling you, he’s bad news!”

“Well! How is hunting with Conductor any different?!”

“Because we’re both Werebeasts? Duh. But you are not a vampire, and he is not a… whatever you are.”

“I’m an  _Imp!”_  Hat Kid hissed, feeling her blood boil. Literally and metaphorically.

“You can’t trust him!” Mu growled. “He’s a vampire! He doesn’t care about anyone but himself and all the walking bags of blood everywhere!”

Verging tears, the little demon shouted, “YOU’RE WRONG!”

Sensing a fight she wouldn’t win, Mu grumbled to herself as she crawled back to her bed, tail tucked between her legs. 

Hat Kid was still upset. Mu was wrong, Snatcher would never hurt her intentionally! Well, he did play rough every now and then, accidentally injuring her. But he’d apologize and promise her it would never happen again, then take her for ice cream. And yes, sometimes he’d joke about her dying, but he did that with everyone! It wasn’t like he’d bite her.

But…one time …there was the time she caught him mid-meal and he swiped at her…and the time he bit Crowley…

Snatcher would never hurt her. Right? Is she putting too much trust into a blood-sucking monster?

Sleep didn’t come easy that night.


End file.
